Met Office, Executive Director - Government and Industry Relationships

Moon Executive Search is pleased to confirm that we are partnering with the Met Office to appoint an Executive Director, Government and Industry Relationships. For this role, you will be based in the South West, London, and remote around the UK. You will be an integral part of the executive leadership team working to influence government and industry partners to ensure the Met Office meets its strategic aims.

From science to technology, from meteorology to management, and from planning to communication, the Met Office expertise helps them stand out as the authority on weather accuracy and climate prediction. They help individuals, industries and government to make better decisions to stay safe and thrive.

We are seeking a permanent appointment into this position for an exceptional leader with experience in spending reviews, and with experience of working with relationships in government and industry. We also encourage applications from those wishing to join on loan/secondment from another organisations.

As a member of the Executive Board reporting to the CEO, you will oversee all customer contract negotiations, ranging from government departments to major future partners such as Microsoft and Amazon Web Services. You will set the strategic direction for both the Met Office and the external partners themselves.

Working with the Met Office government sponsor, Department for Science Innovation and Technology, you will agree the direction of services associated with reaching every UK citizen at home and abroad. For example, working with government partners such as the independent chair of the Public Weather Service, you will be at the heart of agreeing service improvements which reach every UK citizen, along with supporting the Government emergency response processes for significant weather. Negotiating with bodies such as Department for Transport, MOD, Network Rail and RNLI, you will continue to enable the Met Office to keep people safe and thrive.

You will be directly accountable for Met Office trading performance including all sales revenues and cost of sale profit margins agreed with CEO and CFO, currently circa £300m per annum. You will lead the stakeholder relationships teams with circa 100 people. Your key duties:

• Leading and delivering at executive level relationships and stakeholders’ activity in a complex and varied environment.
• Identifying and developing new strategic market opportunities.
• Leading transformation and change - successfully leading delivery of transformational change management programmes whilst ensuring delivery of services on time and to budget.
• Economic and non-economic awareness - extensive knowledge and understanding of stakeholder relations, marketing, customer and account management along with including international development.
• Business delivery focus - strong delivery focus, able to interpret data, undertake demand management horizon scanning and demand management to create and present evidence-based insight.
• A proven track record at executive level in change management and capable of balancing both strategic, tactical and operational priorities; able to deliver strategy at pace with resilience to sustain the strategy, often through high levels of ambiguity and organisational change.
• International relations.

The Met Office work is life-changing, often life-saving and always life-enhancing. The Met Office is accredited as a 'Great Place to Work UK 2023' and in addition has achieved a place on both the UK's 'Best Workplaces in Tech' and 'Best Workplaces for Women' lists.

As Executive Director, Government and Industry Relationships your total reward package is potentially in the range of £126,000 - £136,000 annually, which includes executive level base pay, an outstanding Civil Service pension, a discretionary performance related bonus and annual leave starting at 27.5 days (plus Bank Holidays) rising to 32.5 days (plus Bank Holidays) after 5 years and option to buy or sell up to 5 days per year of annual leave

Essential Criteria, skills and experience

Significant stakeholder management at Department and Ministerial level in government organisations and equivalent level in medium/ large size commercial organisations.

Business development - proven track record of developing new business from both existing and with new customers, especially within a Government context, or through partnership and collaboration revenue growth opportunities.

Proven track record of managing a significant budget (£23 million) within agreed limits and extensive knowledge of corporate budgeting and financial processes including delivery of cost reduction/ efficiency programmes.

Holistic Demand horizon scanning/management experience and/or qualification with evidence of strategic account management.

Experience of delivering in a high performing executive team

Closing date Sunday 14th April 2024 at 23:59 with first stage interviews commencing from late April / Early May.

As an equal opportunities employer Moon Executive Search welcome applications from all areas of society and from those with all protected characteristics. The Met Office recruit on merit, fairness, and open competition in line with the Civil Service Code.

A relocation package is available.

We can only accept applications from those eligible to live and work in the UK - please refer to GOV.UK for information.

The Met Office require Security clearance, for which you need to have resided in the UK for at least 3 of the last 5 years to be eligible. You will need to achieve full security clearance within your first 6 months with the Met Office.